Veterans Day Spotlight: Colonel (Retired) Robert Landsiedel

In celebration of Veterans Day, we invited members of the Douglas Elliman community who have served in the U.S. armed forces to reflect on how their service experiences have shaped their lives and careers in the real estate business. Colonel (Retired) Robert Landsiedel, Real Estate Agent, Westhampton, New York Please describe your military service. I began my military service in June 1979, when I joined the Air National Guard’s 106 th Rescue Wing, Westhampton Beach, New York.  From January 1980 to May 1981, I completed Officer Training and Flight Training, where I was the distinguished graduate of both programs. After returning to my unit, I was assigned to the 102 nd Rescue Squadron and performed duties as a HH-3E helicopter pilot and participated in many local rescue missions, some long range over-water missions requiring air refueling, while also training for combat missions. I held many staff positions as well as my duties as an instructorflight examiner pilot at the Squadron, Group and Wing level. In April of 1988, I was selected to transition to become a fixed wing pilot and completed T-37T-38 jet training at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, and C-130 pilot training at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. In May 1989, I returned to Westhampton Beach as a HC-130 pilot and served a long, distinguished career participating in many lifesaving rescue missions as a pilot and commander, played an integral role developing and flying Space Shuttle Rescue alert missions, served as a combat rescue pilot in Dharan, Saudi Arabia, during Operation Southern Watch, 1994, and served as a pilot and commander stationed in Incirlik, Turkey, during Operation Northern Watch, 1998. At the 106 th Rescue Wing, I oversaw local training and overseas combat deployments, served as an instructorflight examiner pilot, flying SquadronOperations Group Commander, LogisticsMaintenance Group Commander and retired from the 106 th Rescue Wing as the 106 th Rescue Wing Vice Commander in February 2012. In what ways, if any, has your service experience shaped the way you approach your life and career in real estate? In February 2016, I joined Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Westhampton Beach after getting my Real Estate Salesperson license.  My wife, Jeanne, was an Associate Broker at Douglas Elliman since they opened the office under Prudential Realty, Westhampton Beach. Jeanne gave me a foundation and helped train me for my new career. The organizational, discipline, leadership and communication skills that I learned through my military career helped me become successful in my real estate career. The core values for every member of the Air Force are: “Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.” Those core values shaped my military career, my personal life, as well as my professional life as a licensed real estate agent.  You always have to be honest and have the utmost integrity and do what is always right for your client. Serve your clients’ needs and perform at your highest level of excellence, skill and professionalism to accomplish the real estate mission, helping buyers and sellers with their home salepurchase and landlords and tenants with their leasing needs. I don’t focus on commissions for myself, as it all falls into place if I follow my core values. H3-KIRLTLAND-AFB-1981 WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY, Col. Robert S Landsiedel, 106th Rescue Wing Executive Officer, lands an HC-130 at F.S. Gabreski ANG as part of his "Finiflight" before retiring after more than thirty years of military service on February 27th, 2012. (USAF Senior Airman Christopher S. Muncy released) What would you like your colleagues to know or understand about your service experience and what it means to you? I believe my colleagues who know I served in the military appreciate my service to the country. I was fortunate that I chose a career that I loved, and I would not have wanted to do anything else. I would like them to know that I appreciate them and thank them for their continued support of all members who serve in the military, as well as those who serve protecting us in our country, state and local community.